The Saints now have $4.34MM in extra cap room to work with, thanks to David Onyemata. The defensive tackle has agreed to convert a portion of his $7MM base into a signing bonus, kicking a portion of his hit into 2022 and granting the Saints some flexibility in the near term. 
Onyemata cracked the Saints’ starting lineup in 2019 and re-upped with the Saints last year on a three-year, $27MM deal. The move garnered mixed reviews since Onyemata wasn’t a tremendous performer in his platform year, per the advanced metrics. Then, he silenced the critics with 44 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits, and one interception. Pro Football Focus graded him as the seventh-best interior defender in the NFL, behind only Aaron Donald, Chris Jones, Mario Edwards Jr., Vita Vea, DeForest Buckner, and Cameron Heyward.
Meanwhile, the Saints have also re-signed defensive back J.T. Gray, Rapoport hears. The special teams specialist will stick around on a two-year, $4MM deal that includes $2MM in guarantees.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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